Dr. Katherine DeMasie named Chair of Pediatric Anesthesiology Examination Committee

Dayton Children’s Hospital is excited to announce that Dr. Katherine DeMasie, MD, chief of the division of anesthesiology, has been appointed Chair of the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) Pediatric Anesthesiology Examination Committee. In this prestigious role, Dr. DeMasie will lead a distinguished team of pediatric anesthesiologists from top institutions across the nation in certifying the next generation of specialists in the field.

“I am proud to represent Dayton Children’s at the national level,” said Dr. DeMasie. “It is an immense privilege and responsibility to collaborate with these colleagues from around the country to set the standards for what knowledge should be expected of a pediatric anesthesiologist.”

As Chair, Dr. DeMasie will oversee the development and administration of the ABA’s rigorous 200-question pediatric anesthesiology certification exam, which has been the gold standard for board certification in the United States since its inception in 2013. Over 4,000 physicians have taken the exam to date. Her responsibilities include:

• Writing and reviewing exam questions, mentoring question authors and ensuring content accuracy, relevance and formatting.
• Leading key meetings, including the annual committee meeting, post-exam key validation meeting and providing feedback to fellowship program directors regarding examinee performance.
• Participating in monthly conference calls with the ABA and joining three annual webinars with exam chairs from other specialties.

Dr. DeMasie’s committee is composed of leading pediatric anesthesiologists from renowned institutions such as Boston Children’s Hospital, Stanford University, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Riley Hospital for Children and Lurie Children’s Hospital. She will serve two consecutive two-year terms, followed by an additional year as post-chair.

A dedicated volunteer with the ABA since 2014, Dr. DeMasie has previously served as a question author, exam editor and vice chair.

“The process of crafting a quality question and exam suits my mathematical and analytical personality,” she shared. “It is intellectually stimulating and forces you to be evidence-based.”

Dr. DeMasie joined Dayton Children’s in 2016, bringing over 15 years of experience in anesthesiology. Her leadership continues to elevate the standards of excellence in pediatric anesthesiology.